The monetary toll of court docket delays on UK landlords is mounting, with these in London bearing the heaviest burden, new analysis exhibits.
In 2025, the common possession case involving continuous hire arrears left London landlords dealing with losses of £22,968 in unpaid hire – far above the UK-wide common of £8,700, in keeping with knowledge from property regulation specialists Authorized for Lettings.
This huge disparity is pushed by the capital’s uniquely excessive rental prices, averaging £2,197 per thirty days, coupled with the longest court docket delays within the nation. Mixed, these pressures make renting out property in London significantly riskier than wherever else within the UK.
The info additionally highlights a big inconsistency in court docket delays throughout the nation.
The Central London, Willesden, Edmonton, Clerkenwell & Shoreditch County courts noticed the longest common delay within the nation at eleven months, whereas others equivalent to Teesside, Leeds, Brighton and Sheffield adopted with common court docket delays of eight months.
Throughout the UK, the common watch for a possession case to be concluded now stands at 5 months.
Will Eastman, director of Authorized for Lettings, is asking for court docket reform, with the abolition of Part 21 evictions now lower than 5 months away.
He mentioned: “These delays are already putting large stress on landlords, notably within the areas the place courts are most backlogged.
“Each additional month a case spends within the system is one other month of hire that will by no means be recovered. With out significant court docket reform, the Renters’ Rights Act dangers driving these numbers even greater.
“We’re already seeing extra landlords counting on Part 21 whereas it’s nonetheless accessible, which is more likely to translate into additional will increase in possession claims and evictions, with knock-on monetary and emotional impacts throughout the sector.”
